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LSU coach Jay Johnson (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Here are Baseball America’s SEC power rankings entering the final week of the regular season. Note that each team’s record reflects their marks as of May 13.
These rankings below do not mirror the Top 25, which relies heavily on weekly outcomes. Our SEC power rankings consider future projection, conference standings and more peripheral metrics such as RPI, number of Quadrant 1 wins and more.
1. LSU
- Record: 40-12; 17-10
- Weekend record: 10-3
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 6
- RPI: 7
LSU returns to the top spot in our Top 25 this week for the first time since winning the 2023 national title, and it rises to No. 1 in the SEC power rankings, too. There’s impressive synergy between the Tigers’ explosive offense and a pitching staff loaded with statistical standouts. In a season full of turnover at the top, LSU has steadily climbed, and its late-spring surge stands out. The Tigers have entered the final week of the regular season ranked in the top eight only twice since 2017 and reached Omaha both times. These power rankings won’t always agree with the Top 25. In this case, it wouldn’t have made much sense to stray from it, though.
2. Georgia
- Record: 40-13; 16-11
- Weekend record: 10-3
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 3
- RPI: 1
Given how muddy the SEC race is at the top, choosing who should follow LSU in these rankings wasn’t easy. But Georgia gets the nod after briefly holding the No. 1 spot in the Top 25, maintaining the No. 1 RPI, surpassing the 40-win mark and nearing the return of breakout slugger Ryland Zaborowski, who’s been sidelined for nearly three weeks due to injury. This isn’t a perfect team—its pitching remains a concern—but when it’s clicking, Georgia has the ingredients of a dominant Omaha contender.
3. Auburn
- Record: 36-15; 16-11
- Weekend record: 11-2
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 5
- RPI: 2
Very plainly, we’re bullish on Auburn at Baseball America. The Tigers moved up to No. 2 in the Top 25 this week after dismantling South Carolina in Week 13 and now sit at No. 2 in RPI, positioning themselves firmly for a top eight national seed. The turnaround has been stunning for a team that finished 27-26 (8-22 SEC) last season and was picked by BA to finish 13th in the conference. Few programs in the country have improved more or faster.
4. Vanderbilt
- Record: 36-16; 16-11
- Weekend record: 8-5
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 10
- RPI: 3
Spots 4-7 are tightly clustered and could be sorted a few different ways, but I ultimately chose to go with Vanderbilt. The Commodores have won three of their last four series, including a set against our top-power-ranked SEC team, Georgia, to climb to No. 3 in the RPI. Vanderbilt’s weekend series record (8-5) is not terribly impressive, but its recent momentum has been, which pushed them into the top four.
5. Arkansas
- Record: 41-11; 18-9
- Weekend record: 9-4
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 2
- RPI: 5
Just two weeks removed from sweeping No. 1 Texas, the Razorbacks lead the SEC in total wins and remain in the hunt for at least a share of the regular season title, sitting two games back of the Longhorns with one weekend to play. There have been cracks in recent weeks, but the ceiling is also equally as clear with this team. I’m betting they can recapture the form that briefly made them the No. 1 team in the country when it matters most, but I couldn’t quite make an argument for the Razorbacks to crack the top four.
6. Texas
- Record: 40-10; 20-7
- Weekend record: 11-2
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 1
- RPI: 4
Texas was the toughest team to place this week. The overall body of work is exceptional—the Longhorns are just the fourth SEC team to start league play 19-2 since the conference adopted the 30-game format in 1996, they’ve already hit the 40-win mark and they remain in position to win the league in their first season as members. But recent results tell a different story. Texas is 1-5 over its last six SEC games, and the injuries that piled up earlier in the season may finally be taking a toll. There’s a case to rank this team higher based on what it has done, but the trajectory raises real questions heading into the postseason about what it will do. That matters a lot more in these rankings than the Top 25.
7. Florida
- Record: 35-18; 13-14
- Weekend record: 9-4
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 14
- RPI: 13
Florida has authored one of the most dramatic turnarounds in recent memory, recovering from a program-worst 1-11 start in SEC play to storm into the hosting conversation. The Gators are 16-7 since April 1, have won five straight series and look like one of the nation’s hottest teams. Yes, No. 7 might seem aggressive for a team still below .500 in league play, but history says not to doubt Kevin O’Sullivan when his team is peaking. With a shot at a third-straight trip to Omaha and serious momentum, Florida has reentered the national picture in a big way. I’d argue it could be ranked even higher.
8. Alabama
- Record: 39-13; 15-12
- Weekend record: 8-5
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 11
- RPI: 8
Alabama has been volatile over the past two months, posting just a 3-5 series record in that span. But the Crimson Tide eased some concerns last weekend by taking two of three from Georgia, a marquee result that vaulted them to No. 8 in RPI. Much like the 4-7 range, the 8-11 cluster was difficult to break down, as it’s filled with teams that have looked great at times and stumbled at others. Alabama gets the nod here thanks to the weight of its most recent win and the overall quality of its resume.
9. Tennessee
- Record: 39-13; 15-12
- Weekend record: 8-5
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 4
- RPI: 15
Two months ago, ranking Tennessee among the SEC’s top teams wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow. The Volunteers were widely regarded as the best in the league and the nation, boasting a rare blend of power pitching and hitting. However, recent struggles cast doubt on that early-season brilliance. Tennessee has gone 7-11 in SEC play since April 1 and lost five of its last six weekends. While there’s an argument to be made to place them higher on this list based on their raw talent and overall body of work, the lack of momentum makes it difficult to justify doing so.
10. Ole Miss
- Record: 34-17; 14-13
- Weekend record: 8-5
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 7
- RPI: 17
Ole Miss lands in a similar spot as Tennessee—a team with a strong overall profile but troubling recent form. The Rebels have dropped four of their last five series, including setbacks to rival Mississippi State last week and conference cellar-dweller South Carolina in mid April. There’s still plenty to like in the broader view of their season, but the recent slide knocks them down a few spots. The good news? Ole Miss has the talent to climb quickly if it finds its footing again.
11. Oklahoma
- Record: 32-17; 13-14
- Weekend record: 9-4
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 8
- RPI: 26
Oklahoma feels like the odd team out in a tightly-packed top tier, but that’s the nature of a conference this competitive. The Sooners have been uneven since the start of April, winning just three of six weekend series and dropping two of their last three, including a setback against unranked Kentucky last weekend. Their RPI has fallen to No. 26, likely knocking them out of the hosting picture—whereas every team above them remains at least in contention. That reality ultimately dictated their placement here.
12. Mississippi State
- Record: 31-20; 12-15
- Weekend record: 7-6
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 12
- RPI: 32
Things could be a whole lot worse for Mississippi State. Since firing its national-title-winning head coach in a stunning in-season move on April 28, the Bulldogs have gone 6-1 and all but secured a place in the at-large conversation. It’s tough to justify moving them much higher, but last weekend’s series win over rival Ole Miss was one of the most impressive results anywhere in the country.
13. Kentucky
- Record: 28-20; 13-14
- Weekend record: 7-5-1
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 13
- RPI: 33
Kentucky’s season has more closely resembled a Houdini act than a show of dominance. After opening in the Top 25 and coming off a College World Series appearance, the Wildcats fell to 10-14 in SEC play following a sweep at Mississippi State and looked to be on the wrong side of the bubble. But a weekend sweep of Oklahoma earned them a critical 13th league win and put them back on track for an NCAA Tournament berth. This is still a postseason team—just not the same force it was a year ago. Its late escape job from missing the postseason forced it down this list.
14. Texas A&M
- Record: 27-23; 10-17
- Weekend record: 7-6
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 9
- RPI: 59
There’s not much sugarcoating to do after Texas A&M was swept at home by a Missouri team that entered the weekend 0-24 in SEC play and was flirting with history for all the wrong reasons. This season has unraveled into a full-blown disaster for the nation’s preseason No. 1, which now sits just four games above .500 and likely needs a road sweep at Georgia to even have a shot at the postseason. From this vantage point, the Aggies are trending toward becoming the first preseason No. 1 since Arizona State in 1991 to miss the NCAA Tournament. A coaching change wouldn’t be surprising if that happens.
15. South Carolina
- Record: 26-26; 5-22
- Weekend record: 4-9
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 15
- RPI: 74
There was never much debate about this spot. Paul Mainieri’s Gamecocks have endured a brutal season with just five SEC wins, one weekend series victory in league play and several lopsided losses that will go down in program history. Now sitting outside the top 70 in RPI, South Carolina has spiraled to the bottom of the SEC and stayed there.
16. Missouri
- Record: 16-35; 3-24
- Weekend record: 2-9-2
- Previous power ranking (April 15): 16
- RPI: 135
Missouri remains in the cellar, but it avoided infamy. The Tigers pulled off a stunning road sweep of Texas A&M to notch their first SEC wins and create a bit of distance from a winless league season. Still, no result was going to be enough to lift them out of the bottom spot in these rankings.
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